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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed this week to curb spending. The city is upside-down, financially. KPCC's Molly Peterson reports on his latest comments, emphasizing which public services he hopes to protect.

The mayor’s announced a grant of almost 1-and-a-half million dollars from the federal Justice Department for domestic violence prosecution. The money will help enhance case management systems for domestic violence cases. It'll also support an existing program that pairs victims’ advocates with police officers who respond to emergency calls.

Villaraigosa also made a second appearance at LAPD’s Rampart station, both with Chief Charlie Beck. The mayor has said that some layoffs are likely to balance the city’s budget, even as he wants to protect core services like public safety.

That goal isn’t immune from budget shortfalls. Villaraigosa is proposing consolidating L.A.'s public safety functions by incorporating 250 general services employees into the LAPD.